Resume essentials for hourly and part-time jobs: Get hired faster
The internet's a jungle of resume advice, and finding the guidance that’s right for you can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. But as experts in hourly work, we're here to make your journey to the perfect job a whole lot smoother. We’ve got advice that’s custom-built for workers like you.
The essential components of a resume
Name and contact information
First up, place your name and how to reach you, big and bold up top for all to see. Proofread to make sure your phone number and email address are correct, so potential employers can connect with ease. Sounds basic, right? But trust us, clarity matters and mistakes happen, so don’t let them happen to you.
Skills
Highlighting your abilities is key. These can be specific technical skills like using a Point-of-sale system, having a food-handling certification, or driving a forklift. But you can also include soft skills like “customer service” or “excellent communicator.” We recommend putting this section up top after your contact information.
Work history
Next, the star of the show – your work history. We'll guide you on how to showcase the experiences that truly matter, helping you shine in the eyes of hiring managers. If you’re applying for your very first job, it’s fine to put volunteer work, babysitting, and lawn-mowing on there. But if you do that, keep it really short and simple – no need to pad it out. Employers who are allowed to hire teens will understand this, so don’t stress about it.
Education
Your highest level obtained, the name of the school you attended, and the city and state of that school. Some job applicants choose to put this near the top of a resume, while others prefer the bottom. We say you can put it before your work history if you’re fresh out of school (or still in school!), but for everyone else keep it after.
What not to include
There are some things that aren’t required in a resume and can sometimes even hurt your chances of getting an interview. Overall, we recommend keeping it simple.
Full address: Your city and state are enough. No need for the full address in the resume itself, since those will be in your job application. Having it in two places not only creates more work for you, for some employers it can create a privacy issue during the hiring process.
Photo or headshot: Skip the pictures. Your skills matter more than your selfie. While having a photo on your resume is a thing in some countries, U.S. employers don’t expect it. So when they see one it can make them question your judgment – or even give them a reason to discriminate against you unfairly. So even if you’ve got a great photo, don’t do it!
Resume objective: This is kind of an old-fashioned idea anyway. And for hourly jobs, it's really not needed or expected. Employers know why you’re applying for a job: you want to work. They might probe more during an interview as part of a get-to-know you thing, but it’s not something you need to provide in writing as part of your application.
References: You may be asked for references after you have applied for a job, and sometimes some employers request them as part of your application, but you should not automatically include them on every application. Why not? Ideally, you’ll want to give your references a heads-up about who exactly might be calling them and when. It not only helps your references help you, it’s just polite!
Making your resume easy-to-read
Now, let's talk about making your resume easy to scan by both humans and machines. The absolute last thing you want your resume to do is create work or frustration for the employer.
Clarity is your best friend. Keep it simple and clear. Don’t crowd the page with big blocks of text.
Use bullet points for readability. They're your secret weapon.
Avoid fancy fonts and formatting. Not only is this sometimes harder for people to read, it definitely confuses computers and could cause your application to be automatically rejected. Stick to the basics.
Try our resume template
Ready to get started on your awesome resume? We've got your back. Click the link below to download our user-friendly resume template tailored just for you. It's designed to make your job application process a breeze. You can open the link below and save a copy. Make edits to your copy to personalize your resume, and then save it as a .pdf you can attach right to your Snagajob profile.
Now that you have the perfect tool at your fingertips, let's get that resume ready to impress!
Conclusion
In a nutshell, crafting a resume for hourly jobs is as straightforward as it gets. No need for the fancy stuff – just focus on the essentials that matter. Your name and contact info, work history, education, and skills are the building blocks of your success.
Remember, your hourly job search doesn't have to be complicated. We're here to guide you every step of the way. You've got what it takes, and now you've got the right tools.
So, go ahead, create that standout resume, and let's kickstart your journey to finding the perfect hourly job. We're here cheering you on!
Your Privacy Choices